There has been a continuing attempt to manufacture treatments for fabrics which are inconspicuous during the daytime and reflective at night. No practical or commercially useful way to provide an effective retroreflective fabric with such qualities has previously been reported.
Pedestrian activity at nighttime is increasing rapidly. Similarly, nighttime automobile activity has increased. Currently, there are no reflective materials that can be applied to garments to provide both hand comfort, breathability comfort and daytime colored appearance while brilliantly reflecting lights at nighttime.
Materials reflecting light are well known as a means of increasing the visibility of pedestrians or traffic signs to oncoming vehicle drivers or others requiring visual location of objects under conditions of reduced visibility. Previously, these materials which reflected light were in the form of strips and bands or heat transfer attached to a garment, therefore offering only a limited area of reflected light.
Retro-reflective coating compositions were taught in Palmquist et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,963,378, and further teachings appear in Nellessen, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,099,637, 3,228,897, 3,420,597; Longlet et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,019; Bingham U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,103,060; Re. 30,892, 4,263,345; Fouche Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,332.
However, because the existing commercial reflective treatments for garments are conspicuous in daytime, do not result in a desirable feel, do not wash well under normal conditions, and do not pass industry crock standards, few people wear such garments.